Are phablets a phase? Study says yes

Remember how we questioned whether or not Samsung would end up competing with itself? Since the specs between the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 are so similar, but the larger Note is expected to have a flexible screen and additional features that surpass the S4, it wasn’t an unrealistic guess.

However, a new study conducted by Flurry Analytics, suggests that the whole phablet — any phone sporting a display that ranges anywhere from 5-6.9 inches — phase may be just that: a phase.

Phablets first really entered the smartphone marketplace when the original Samsung Galaxy Note debuted in 2011. Originally, the public was thrown back by the tremendous size of the screen (5.3 inches), but it was actually fairly well-received, shipping more than a million devices within the first two months.

Despite the positive reception, Flurry still thinks they won’t be here to stay. Surveying more than 200 device models, which also included tablets, the company found (shock shock) that mid-sized devices, which includes the Galaxy S4 and iPhone, are the most-preferred among users, accounting for 72 percent of active users.

Phablets, on the other hand, claimed just three percent.

But we’re really not sold on this. What the survey doesn’t seem to take into consideration is the disproportionate number of phablets versus mid-sized phones, the latter of which are much more prolific. So, when comparing the two groups side-by-side, while it may seem like the larger models aren’t faring well, we feel that a more appropriate means would be to conduct a model-by-model sales assessment.

What do you think? Are phablets just a passing craze, or are they here to stay?